Wake Me Up Inside
by Dimmension Traveler
Summary: Disclaimer: Come on, you think any of us own this show or any other media we write about on this site? Shares its name with the song Wake Me Up by Evanescence
1. Chapter 1

These AN's will be at the start of specific chapters that hold relevance to this story. AN's that do not, will be at the end of the chapter BENEATH certain sneak peeks. Zatara may be called "John" or "Giovanni" depending on who is speaking to him. His birth name is Giovanni and his alias is John. He is, obviously by his birth name, from Italy. Sindella will be given many nicknames, so just please bear with me on that. She is, and look it up if you don't trust me, from a hidden city in Northern Turkey.

* * *

July 20th, 2000

Sindella was washing the dishes with her four year old daughter, Zatanna, 'helping' her. Zatanna was just squirting soap into the sink, but it meant Sindella could get the job done faster.

"Mommy, look! It's daddy's cup!" Zatanna held up a white mug that had a black top hat with a broad white band across it and the trademark Zatara family 'Z' on it.

Sindella laughed "Yes, sweetie, it is your daddy's cup." Sindella took the mug from Zatanna and scrubbed it before rinsing it and putting it on the rack.

The front door had opened and someone, a man, called out "Tanna? Sin?"

"In the kitchen, John dear." Sindella said as she dried Zatanna's hands.

John walked into the kitchen, wearing a white dress shirt and black slacks, a few bags of groceries in his hands.

Sindella, after setting Zatanna free, saw the groceries bags and sighed with a smile as she wiped her hands. "Always keeping up with what needs to be bought."

The Italian man put the bags on the counter and kissed his wife on the lips. "Of course." He pushed a locket of blonde hair behind his wife's ear.

Sindella smacked him with the dish towel before going over to the bags. Zatara stopped her by wrapping his arms around her waist.

He put his forehead on her shoulder "You take care of Zatanna, I'll put these away."

"How about you put half of them away and then we trade off." She leaned against his head, smiling as one arm let go of her and found it's way to her other shoulder. She smiled as she remembered them doing this everyday five and a half years earlier. "John, Zatanna's going to wonder what we're doing."

He started to trail kisses along her neck "I'm showing you some much needed affection. That's what I'm doing, and it doesn't look like you're resisting." He stopped only to mutter a quick "_Eb tup ni ruoy seclap_." The groceries were levitating left and right, and within two minutes, everything was put away. John continued his attack on his wife's neck.

Sindella was giggling as his moustache was tickling her neck. "John, stop it!" She was shaking from muffled laughter.

Everything stopped when they heard Zatanna panicked voice yell "Mommy! Daddy!"


	2. Chapter 2

John and Sindella raced into the room and saw this man in a black cloak in the doorway. Zatanna was in the middle of the room, hidden under the coffee table, shaking and crying at the sight of the scary man. John went to attack the man as Sindella went to Zatanna.

The raven haired girl crawled out from beneath the table and onto her mother's lap. "Mommy.." She said, her voice was so small and filled with fear, as she put her head in her mother's chest.

"It'll be okay sweetie." Sindella said, holding her close, as John flew across the room as smack into the wall. He slid onto the floor, getting up on his knees and at glaring at the man with hate that rivaled the destructive power of Poseidon the God of the sea and promising to hurt this man badly when he gets his hands on him.

"Daddy!" Zatanna said, seeing her father slowly getting up.

"_Seniv, dnib siht nam_." The vines that grew along the fence that lined their front lawn flew off of the post and bound the man. This cloaked figure had his legs bound together and his arms up in the air.

The man smirked and let out a 'hmph', the vines that were touching his skin burst into flames. The ashes of the vines flew into John's mouth, past his magical defenses, and down his throat as his he was levitated up in the air with his arms stuck to his sides and his legs were forced together. He was choking on the ashes, unable to breath as his airways were becoming clogged with them, his magic was trying to force the ashes from him as a last ditch effort to get the ashes out of his airways, but it wasn't working. Zatanna was crying because her daddy was in pain. Sindella was holding her as she was shaking.

"Stop! What do you want!?" Sindella screamed, tears falling down her face as he husbands body began spasming.

This figure smirked, taking his hood down, revealing he had a mark on his cheek, the mark of the Hidden Ones' royal court. Sindella's eyes became cold, immediately knowing what must be done.

"You want me to go back home, to the village?" She asked. The figure nodded. Sindella sighed and glared at this man. "Fine, but you have to clean those ashes from my husbands throat and then let me say goodbye." The figure nodded, striking the deal. With a wave of his hand, the ashes flew from John's unmoving body and into the chimney.

The man opened up his eyes, breathing in a single breath as he pushed against the wall to sit up, before feeling his daughter's arms fly around his neck. He held her and looked at his wife, who stared into his eyes as she knelt down beside him, tears were in her eyes.

"Sin, what's happening?" He looked into her eyes, and saw her tears. He held her cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "Hey, it's alright. I'm alright. Zatanna's alright. We're fine." He kissed her lips, bringing a sad smile to hers when he pulled away.

_You will be._ "Do you trust me?" Sindella asked, knowing the answer all too well.

John nodded "Yes. I trust you with my life."

This made what she was about to do all the more difficult. She thought and thought to the day that she almost lost her life in a car crash, a half a year ago, and she used her voiceless magic to get ready to alter their memories.

Tears fell down Sindella's face as she kissed her husband, her magic entering his mind through his mouth. He was too caught up in the sudden kiss to realize what was going on, too caught up on the feeling of her lips on his, until she pulled away. John's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell back against the wall, his memories of the past six months were becoming altered and his brain was getting used to it all.

Zatanna looked at her father, and then to her mother. She clung to her mother, tears streaming down her face as she nuzzled her mother. She was so scared, and as much as Sindella hated to do this, it had to be done. Sindella whispered soothing words to her daughter in Turkish, her words soothing her daughter, allowing for her mother's wordless magic easy access into her mind.

Zatanna suddenly stopped nuzzling her mother, falling limp in her arms. Sindella used her magic to lift her husband up off of the floor and onto the couch, before placing Zatanna on his chest, and putting a blanket over the two of them without using her magic. She focused her magic on the pictures on the mantle, erasing herself from all of the pictures from the past nine months, and used her magic to make everything that was hers vanish from the house.

She looked at the figure and nodded, walking to the doorway. She turned back towards them and whispered "Be safe, my loves." And then, just like that, they were gone.

* * *

**_To clear up any confusion, in this story Zatanna was four when her mother 'died', but Sindella erased all memory of her from John and Zatanna's minds from the past nine months, so from the middle of May to the middle-ish of January, so it seemed like she had died in the car crash before Zatanna's birthday (May 20th). Any more information will be given later on in this story in case you're curious._**


	3. Ten Years Later

**_Sorry about it being so short. There will be a team mission soon enough. But, for now, I hope you enjoy this chapter._**

* * *

Zatanna and her father had just finished stopping a robbery-in-progress, on their day off, and they were relaxing at home. Or, at least Zatara was. He was making lasagna. Zatanna, on the other hand, was in her room. She was huddled under the blankets, curled up in a ball, a pillow beneath and above her head, trying to remain calm as the headaches she was having were getting worse.

She'd been having these headaches for weeks, but until now they were small ones. Her body shook as a tremor shot through her body. Her magic was useless to stop the headaches, because it intensified her magic. So, she had to deal with it like a normal person. She couldn't talk to her father about her headaches, he would flip out and nearly quarantine-no he'd totally quarantine her.

She couldn't go to her mother, she was gone. She had died in a car crash eleven years ago. The only pictures of her mother were of those just before her fourth birthday. She had ivory skin, blonde hair that was long and beautiful, and Zatanna's mischievous blue eyes. She vaguely remembered a soft voice singing to her in an odd language as she was being rocked to sleep in a rocking chair.

On Zatanna's bed side table was her favorite picture, the one of her as a two year old, her mother was wearing a white dress with an odd crown and her father was wearing a blue suit with a matching top hat, cane, yellow vest and a yellow and blue vertical striped bowtie. Zatanna, with a little top hat in her hair, was wearing a white blouse with a long sleeve black coat, a pink skirt with thin vertical lines, and white socks with black dress shoes. They were all smiling, all happy. Oh how those days were missed.

"Zatanna." Her father called from downstairs, his Italian accent traveling up the flight of stairs and hitting her ears like a sledge hammer hitting concrete.

Zatanna gave a groan in response, not meaning to purposefully tell the other occupant of the house she was in pain. Soft footsteps, the sound of barefeet tapping polished wood that was impossible to get a sliver from, made their way up the stairs. A knock on the open door, the vibrations hit her head and that made her groan louder.

"Stop..." She weakly whined, the pain in her voice made the knocking stop.

"Zatanna, my little dove, what's wrong?" Zatara asked, his voice was soft as he walked into his daughter's carpeted room-deciding to himself to never walk barefoot in this room again because he hated the feet of the carpet on his barefeet, and knelt down beside her head.

"My head hurts." She cried. She felt the pillow being gently peeled from her head. When it was gone, she saw a pair of green orbs that were looking at her, holding a worried expression. She put her head on his shoulder, whimpering as a tremor shot through her.

Zatara held her in his arms, stroking her hair, wondering how long she had been suffering these pains without his knowledge. It made him feel like the worst father in history because he didn't know about her being in pain.

_Sin,_ he began to think, _if you were here, then you'd know what to do._

"Anna, I think we should take you to the doctor, just to make sure it isn't anything serious. Okay?" He said, his voice was soft and filled with concern.

Zatanna gave a nod, letting her father pull her into a sitting position. She was dressed, all that was needed were her shoes. Zatara summoned their shoes, and a pair of socks for himself.

After quickly slipping on their footwear, and getting a pair of glasses for Zatanna, they headed to the doctors. After a few hours, and all of the tests were done, the doctors said there was nothing wrong. When Zatara secretly administered a spell to make them tell the truth, they once again said there was nothing wrong. Zatara and Zatanna left, the former wanting to make a scene but didn't for the sake of his daughter- who was suffering another headache in silence, and went back home.

* * *

_SNEAK PREVIEW!_

Sindella wondered what had become of her husband and daughter. Maybe they had moved on, maybe he had met someone else. Maybe Zatanna didn't even remember her. But, of they did, they would be safer. She only hoped that Zatanna had only inherited her father's backwards talking abilities when it came to magic. She prayed for it.

She wanted her daughter to have as normal of a life as possible, without having to look over her shoulder for fear that _they _found out about her abilities. But, as the years went on, the thing she had dreaded most was making itself known. It was all her fault that Zatanna had inherited it. And now, now after eleven years, all of that fear was becoming a reality.

She felt it too. And she knew, she knew, Zatanna had inherited the curse that had been passed down for generations through Sindella's family line. And it was only a matter of time before the Tribe knew of it's existence in Zatanna as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Sindella wondered what had become of her husband and daughter. Maybe they had moved on, maybe he had met someone else. Maybe Zatanna didn't even remember her. But, if they did, they would be safer. She had hoped that Zatanna had only inherited her father's backwards talking abilities when it came to magic. She prayed for it. She wanted her daughter to have as normal of a life as possible, without having to look over her shoulder for fear that _they _found out about her abilities.

But, as the years went on, the thing she had dreaded most was making itself known to her, she could feel its powers through her own. She felt the Medula Jewel. It was all her fault that Zatanna had inherited it. And now, now after ten years, all of that fear was becoming a reality. She felt it too. And she knew, she knew, Zatanna had inherited the curse that had been passed down for generations through Sindella's family line. And it was only a matter of time before the Tribe knew of it's existence in Zatanna as well.

Maybe, just maybe, Sindella hoped she could establish a link with Zatanna, like the one her mother had with her before her death, to warn her. She'd been trying to, but the magic Zatanna inherited from her father was interfering. Sindella just hoped it wasn't hurting Zatanna too badly, she knew John would train their daughter to put up mental defenses with her magic, and she was trying to break them. She just prayed that when, or if, she met up with her love and their daughter, they would forgive her and understand why what was done was done. She gave a strong pulse of magic through what she felt that was in her daughter, it rebounded and made her hit the ground.

"Mother!" A nine years and four month boy with red hair and mystic blue eyes- that didn't come from her- said, he rushed to her and helped her up. "Are you alright?"

Sindella nodded "Yes Damon, I'm fine."

The boy shook his head as he handed his mother a silver mirror. "Your face is covered in scratches."

Sindella saw the scratches, and knew she had to stop. It was becoming too much, on top of the pain of the 'curse' manifesting, she wasn't helping matters. She looked to her son, his mystifying eyes that looked so gentle but could look so scary in an instant, his eyes were filled to the brim with concern. His red hair was pulled into the traditional mohawk for boys his age in the tribe, his uncovered arms had tattoos. His left one was a really light blue, almost white, moon in its waning crescent. His right had a small light brownish-red star. The crescent moon symbolized the night of his birth and only shined on that night. The star represented the space lights themselves, and somehow glittered on any night there were stars.

Sindella's secret wish was for her husband to come and take them away from the tribe, back to home. To make up for lost time. That was what she secretly wished for, but knew it could not be. Damon, he was easy enough to explain. She had been two months pregnant with him when she left to save her family, and she didn't even know it. Her reasons, she knew why she left, but it would still be difficult to explain. he two of them heard drums. The drums were a common noise heard once every year on this day. This day was one where they could leave the hidden village. And attack a country at the command of the chief.

Sindella turned to Damon. "Go to your great grandmother."

It wasn't uncommon for the soldiers to see the red head rushing to the village healer's home during this day, and he did on these days, but he looked at her with concerned eyes. "Are you sure you'll be alright mother?"

Sindella nodded "I will be." She grabbed his shoulders and kissed his forehead. "Now, run along."

Damon nodded "Yes mother."

The red head ran out the door, rushing past civilians who were running home, up the small hill and stopped outside of the house of his great grandmother, the village healer. She opened the door and let him in, smiling a bittersweet smile at him.

"Come in, my child. It is not safe out on this day."

Damon nodded, "yes, great grandmother." He looked down the hill to see two guards, dressed in white robes with gold jewels adorning them, escorting Sindella to the palace of the chief(1), dressed in a blue dress with a silver-white veil around the sides of her face(2). _Be safe._

* * *

At the palace of the chief, in the -overly massive- throneroom, Sindella saw the cheif sitting on his throne, waiting for her arrival. He was shrouded in shadow but he raised his hand, which was not in shadow, and the guards left.

"What is it you wish for me to do today, father?"

The chief's black eyes narrowed into slits "You are not my daughter the worthless wench." His cold voice brought Sindella back to the days of her childhood, before her mother's death, when he belittled her constantly. She cut her musing's short under his dark gaze.

"You are to be on the front line for this assault." He snapped his fingers and the doors opened, revealing soldiers in light blue uniforms, led by a man in a slightly darker blue uniform. Each carrying weapons that looked like crossbows or spears, but packed a certain power to them(3). They marched in columns, ten of them, twenty to a column, before they stopped a foot away from Sindella. The king stood up and announce, in a loud voice to his soldiers

"Today we shall be attacking the United States base of the Justice League." The air became thick with the tensing of soldiers, and Sindella, who barely suppressed her gasp.

"Since this is our first major assault, I will be sending in the _Curse_ with you. _It_ will deal a massive amount of damage and locate these key members," he placed a stone on the ground and an image appeared out of it like it was a projector. "Batman," the image changed "Superman," there were more images, and he named them off "Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Icon, Flash and _Zatara_."

He spat out the last name, snarling at the image in what seemed to be hate. He looked at his soldiers and Sindella, who was glaring at him, before he said "When it locates these members, you will _take them down_." There was a brief pause before the chief said "Dismissed."

The soldiers all stood tall and said, loudly "Eğer şef komut olarak."(4)

Sindella was walking out to the palace, with the soldiers behind her. They walked to the barrier and the soldiers waited for Sindella to create a portal to the outside world. Sindella did so, creating her magical portal as close to Washington, D.C. as possible. She slid a mask over her face, fitting perfectly over the veil, that resembled that of a birds face(4), before walking into the portal with the soldiers, praying for the life of her that her husband was at home taking care of their daughter.

* * *

(1) they call their king chief

(2) Her battle uniform

(3) you'll see what I mean

(4) protects her face from attacks and hides her identity


End file.
